# Arthur Gordon Pym — An Antarctic Mystery character guide

> Arthur Gordon Pym in An Antarctic Mystery by Jules Verne.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Arthur Pym, Pym, Arthur, Gordon

**First appearance:** 0004-v-edgar-poe-s-romance

## Snapshot

The Nantucket youth whose real Antarctic voyage, disguised as Poe's fiction, left behind a mystery of survival that the Halbrane now sails to solve.

## Who they are

Pym exists in the novel as a haunting absence: a young adventurer whose published account of polar exploration may be truth dressed as fiction, and whose ultimate fate remains unknown. His early recklessness, from the drunken Ariel disaster to the secret voyage on the Grampus, marks him as a boy driven past caution by the lure of southern seas. The Halbrane's entire expedition is essentially a pursuit of his trail, making him the invisible compass by which every character's hope and dread are set.

## Relationships

### [Captain Len Guy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_antarctic_mystery_se/characters/captain_len_guy)

_professional_

Pym is a passenger and collaborator with Captain Guy on the Antarctic expedition, sharing a mutual goal of exploration and survival.

### [Dirk Peters](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_antarctic_mystery_se/characters/dirk_peters)

_friendship_

Pym and Peters form a strong bond of mutual trust and survival, with Peters acting as Pym's protector and ally.

### [Hunt](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_antarctic_mystery_se/characters/hunt)

_psychological_

Pym is both fascinated and disturbed by Hunt's mysterious and menacing behavior, sensing a hidden agenda.

### [Augustus Barnard](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_antarctic_mystery_se/characters/augustus_barnard)

_friendship_

Pym and Augustus are close childhood friends, with Augustus being Pym's first companion on his adventures.

### [Tiger](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_antarctic_mystery_se/characters/tiger)

_friendship_

Tiger is Pym's loyal dog, providing companionship and protection throughout the journey.

### [Captain Len Guy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_antarctic_mystery_se/characters/captain_len_guy)

_professional_

Pym is a passenger and collaborator with Captain Guy on the Antarctic expedition, sharing a mutual goal of exploration and survival.

### [Hunt](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_antarctic_mystery_se/characters/hunt)

_psychological_

Pym is both fascinated and disturbed by Hunt's mysterious and menacing behavior, sensing a hidden agenda.

### [Dirk Peters](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_antarctic_mystery_se/characters/dirk_peters)

_friendship_

Pym and Peters form a strong bond of mutual trust and survival, with Peters acting as Pym's protector and ally.

## In the story

### [From the Kerguelen Isles to Prince Edward Island](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_antarctic_mystery_se/chapters/iv-from-the-kerguelen-isles-to-prince-edward-island)

Referenced as the central figure of Poe's narrative; Captain Guy insists on his historical reality and mentions his death.

### [Edgar Poe's Romance](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_antarctic_mystery_se/chapters/v-edgar-poe-s-romance)

Protagonist of Poe's novel; born at Nantucket, befriends Augustus Barnard, embarks secretly on the Grampus, and later sails on the Jane towards the Antarctic.

### [Bound for the Falklands](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_antarctic_mystery_se/chapters/viii-bound-for-the-falklands)

Referenced as the author of the narrative and as a 'dangerous madman' who led William Guy into the fatal enterprise.

### [X: The Outset of the Enterprise](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_antarctic_mystery_se/chapters/x-the-outset-of-the-enterprise)

Mentioned in conversation as possibly having reached beyond 84° latitude; his return to America is debated.

### [Eleven Years in a Few Pages](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_antarctic_mystery_se/chapters/xxiv-eleven-years-in-a-few-pages)

Mentioned as having escaped Tsalal with Dirk Peters, leaving William Guy behind.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_antarctic_mystery_se/characters/arthur_gordon_pym
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_antarctic_mystery_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_antarctic_mystery_se/characters